Elements of Palliative Care Discussion
Discussion: Palliative care
Palliative care is recognized as interdisciplinary medical actions focused on relieving and preventing suffering while supporting the best possible quality for patients facing serious or life-threatening illnesses (Lim, 2019). Regarding the presented patient’s case, she can be suffering physically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually; hence, it is critical to accord her the essential and most effective palliative care interventions that respect both the patient and family preferences. Elements of Palliative Care Discussion
Taking into the factor of delirium, the patient’s ability to make decisions is limited as she suffers severe mental disturbance, resulting in confused thinking and reduced self and surrounding awareness. Based on this, the decision maker will include collaboration between the family and the care providers attending to the patient. This enables addressing the patient’s physical, social, spiritual, and emotional needs, among others (Hamdan Alshehri et al., 2020). The palliative care plan will be determined by considering the expert’s views, comprehensive patient assessment including holistic care, family considerations, and patients. The presented patient can be said to be approaching the end of life; hence nursing interventions about reflective care include eliciting the patients’ goals for care, listening to the family members and patient, as well as communicating with the interdisciplinary team, and advocating for the patient’s wishes (Ernecoff et al., 2019). Other interventions will include managing end-of-life symptoms, encouraging reminiscing, referring to chaplains, and providing additional spiritual support.
Palliative care is determined based on a comprehensive patient assessment, which comprises the patient’s physical, social, functional, spiritual and psychological aspects. On the other hand, the palliative care plan will be determined by goals of care, pain, and symptoms management practices. Other determining factors include family and caregivers’ needs. Elements of Palliative Care Discussion
References
Ernecoff, N. C., Wessell, K. L., Hanson, L. C., Dusetzina, S. B., Shea, C. M., Weinberger, M., & Bennett, A. V. (2019). Elements of Palliative Care in the Last 6 Months of Life: Frequency, Predictors, and Timing. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 35(3), 753–761. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-019-05349-0
Hamdan Alshehri, H., Olausson, S., Öhlén, J., & Wolf, A. (2020). Factors influencing the integration of a palliative approach in intensive care units: a systematic mixed-methods review. BMC Palliative Care, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12904-020-00616-y
Lim, R. B. L. (2019). End-of-life care in patients with advanced lung cancer. Therapeutic Advances in Respiratory Disease, 10(5), 455–467.
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An 81 year old female with a diagnosis of metastatic lung cancer is experiencing delirium. Describe the palliative care interventions available to the patient and her family. Who will be the decision maker? How will the plan be determined? Elements of Palliative Care Discussion